July:Saint Macrina the Younger

July 19 we remember Saint Macrina, oldest child of nine children, 324-379 A.D.
Two of her brothers are Saint Bishop's, Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nissa.
Her brother Gregory wrote down her 'counsels' and she also had a great influence in Basil's conversion,turning his intellectual gifts to the service of the Church.
I am working out a modern Icon, statement, about Macrina's presence with us today, what would she say to our Church?
I think she would be in shock that women continue to be kept out of the 'voice' and contributing to the Synods etc.
In this icon, I have Macrina ripping a document, because, right up to now, most writings coming out of Rome are written by men, ignoring the Feminine contribution. A friend of mine has suggested that we are only 'half' a Church, as women's gifts, contributions are so under represented.
Macrina is flanked by her two brother's, Gregory and Basil, deliberately cut in half as their writings, though substantial, and inspiring, are not complete without the contribution of the feminine. Imagine if Macrina had also been a Bishop? In her time, she founded one of the earliest Monastic communities of contemplative women.                  Saint Macrina pray for us.

Children's Icon Pattern Book from the life of Jesus

https://www.blurb.ca/b/9563839-icon-patterns-from-the-life-of-jesus?fbclid=IwAR2shwWHgtN6wEsIDPB64NuXwRzq5kINC-HUseeo36s2pK5r8N7T9skEAT0

Available for purchase: Preview my NEW icon pattern book for children from the life of Jesus, click the blurb.ca link above.

Some finished Icons with watercolor pencils, from the children

                                             
                                          "I lay down my life for my sheep"  Jesus, John 10

Children's Icons using Watercolor pencils: The True Vine

The next Icon:                                              The True Vine

There are two parables that are  'the two pillars' of this particular approach to being with children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, CGS. 
"The Good Shepherd", which I showed in the previous post, and  "The True Vine".

I am working on an Icon Pattern Book for children.
Uncluttered, 'just the essential' as we like to say in CGS.
Self publishing, hope to get 'my proof' copy soon, get it edited, then out to YOU. Stay tuned.....

The children want to create...from 5 yrs to 10 years...

In our retreat room for the youngest child at church,(3+),our subject/theme at this time of the year is The Good Shepherd.
Emmanuel Cusnaider, The Good Shepherd  icon is the inspiration/cartoon.
It is perfect, just the essential lines for the child.
We decided to spare ourselves the paint brush clean up as our time is short, and a lot of children.
So water colour pencils are the choice, for now.
Here are the steps, worked out by myself today.
After Sunday, I will post the child's work, creations.

Home with the Three Archangels

Last weekend I went to visit the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, the city of Toronto principal church. It has been magnificently renovated and  also now has a new space for a Gift Shop. Curious to see if any original art was being sold, I went to visit. Most of the items are reproductions, it is not a "Gallery', it is a Gift Shop. Here at my Blog, I am showing reproductions, on metal, of my Three Archangels. Write me at:  athomewsoul@gmail.com to purchase your set.

Archangels standing guard in my window. This reproduction on metal makes them waterproof, fade proof,
and as bright as the evening stars, as constant as our daily sun.

Archangel Raphael God's Healing
5 x 7 reproduced on Metal
$60.00

Archangel Michael  God's Protection
     5 x 7  reproduced on metal 
$60.00 

Archangel Gabriel  God's Messenger
        5 x 7  reproduced on metal
$60.00   

In "My Store", on the right side of the Blog under Pages...
I have The Infancy Narrative Cards for sale.
This site does not bundle the card sets if you want more than one, they charge shipping per item.
Write me if you would like to purchase more than one set, athomewsoul@gmail.com

Set of six Infancy Narrative cards $10.00

Set of six flat cards, following " The Annunciation " through to "the Flight into Egypt"...scenes from the early years of Jesus.  You lay the cards out in any order, they are numbered on the back, and then place them in order and  through the Art pictures tell  the story of Jesus early years. Then your child can imitate you and tell you the story.
Blessings as we enter through the door of Advent to await Jesus coming.

Coptic Madonna and Jesus with attending angels, three options

 I  just received, from  POSTERJACK , a Toronto based printing company, two more options for printing my Coptic Madonna and Jesus. I am so impressed at the quality of the product BUT the acrylic cube is stunning. At certain angles, it looks like you are staring down a hallway of repeat image, especially the attending angels.

5 x 7 Acrylic cube
$125.00

Coptic Madonna and Jesus
on 5 x 7 metal, $70.00
5 x 7 acrylic cube  $125.00
8 x 10 metal, framed $160.00

Coptic Madonna printed on metal

Mother Mary and child Jesus with attending Angels
8 x 10 printed on metal
          $160.00        

This first egg tempera Icon that I painted in 2006, based in the Coptic tradition, has been printed on metal. It is very difficult to photograph as the metal is always picking up all the light. But that is also its attraction, especially when the full force of the sun finds it. And it is can withstand the full sun as the metal is indestructible. Contact  Mariann  at   athomewsoul@gmail.com 
or visit My Store on right bar under Pages....................

Why so many titles for the Mother of God?

Yesterday, on our Catholic calendar we celebrated  the Queen-ship of Mary. On August 15th, we celebrated a Feast, her Assumption, or on the Orthodox calendar, her Dormition.
Why so many titles for this woman who lived such a hidden life? For me, her first 'yes' is the moment I keep returning too. She, who by God's choice, carried the Son of God, made flesh through her, to be born Light of the world.
I recently saw this B&W painting on a wood panel, of  The Annunciation , by the hand of Emmanuel Cusnaider, Argentina. See his Facebook page for a collection of his paintings,and wood carvings, a stunning talent.

I copied it onto untreated canvas...........in the Orthodox tradition, Our Lady usually has three stars indicating her virginity before, during and after . I have chosen three crosses, indicating her son's path, his greatest act of love for us.

The Annunciation: Interpreted from an Ethiopian Manuscript

Silkscreened on paper

Photo from back of Silkscreened Paper

Acrylic on Silk

Acrylic on Canvas

I love the Ethiopian tradition,
the lines, the shapes. I have gone with my own colors choices here because with acrylics there is just so much more 'neon' than the earth pigments that earlier painters were bound by.

2018: The Annunciation as a Solemnity  at the Liturgy had to wait until today, April 9th.
March 25th is her usual appearance, but it was a Sunday this year, and then Lent, then Easter and then....

Making Cards,

Tinting some of my B&W photos of  my Artwork

 Collage/acrylics/  'add a caption'

I just LOVE any tube of paint that begins with...'Quinacridone........

Water color pencils on raw wood...

ADVENT days,
SLOW

RAIN
FALLING........the extravagance of a day of creating mirror images from my box of Inspiration

Easter 2017

This past Lent I continued to build the materials for the children's room at church based on the guidelines as taught in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Here are the Ointment bearing women visiting the Tomb, discovering a "young man, dressed in white who says, " He has been raised up; he is not here....Mark 16: 6-8

Then I just had to paint my own, Resurrection Angel, adding some heated up reds....

PENTECOST 2016

This past Lent and Easter season I attended a class called The Mystic's Path. The Guide is Jewish but his experience is broader than that one tradition. Early on he gave us a copy of
"The Annunciation" by  Fra Angelico. Fra Angelico  painted this moment many times,as I have also. But I have learned something new from this master, and I wish in my interpretations of  The Annunciation I had inserted light as Fra Angelico did here, a beam of light emanating from God, here shown as a hand, mystical touch.


I would like to share another one of the gems we were given in this course, from the Book,
The Torah Commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

"Let me ask you friends, do you know how much light there is in the world? Unbelievable light. As long as the world is existing, there is so much light coming down from heaven.
It's unbelievable how much energy there really is. So what happens to it? sadly enough, most of it is just floating around. Nobody picks it up. nobody stops to pick it up...You know friends, a lot of people are ready to do everything good, but very few people have this depth to receive something....Then there is such a thing as kabbalas p'nei ha-Shechina, to receive God's Presence. God is here all the time, you cannot write Him out and you cannot write Him in.
The question is: Are you receiving God's Presence?"

An early Easter

https://www.stjames-cathedral.org/Prayer/jkblstations/learnmore.htm
Everyday of March was a step towards Holy Week and Easter. I have posted this link to a Seattle, Washington artist, Joan Brand-Landkamer, whose Stations of the Cross I have spent time with this past Lent. What I am most inspired about, is the inspiration she takes from the 20th Cent. French artist, George Rouault, who never created a set of Stations, but whose life goal was to paint a crucified Christ that would inspire the transformation of hearts.
I go to Artist's living and dead, to inspire my work. In Iconography, you trace from prototypes that are 'in the tradition' you are drawing from. Here is my Good Friday Easter Sunday Station that is inspired by the Ethiopian Icon tradition.

Crucifixion inspired from Ethiopian Tradition

February: celebrating Love

Where I live  February 2016 is delivering some very mild days, but the trees are still bare, stripped to their skeletal shapes. As I did not have one green, living plant in my apartment, I spent last Saturday shopping for planters,soil and green ivy,ferns and aloe, By the end of the day I had built another area for a shrine. February tends to be a time of staying in,for many St. Valentine reminds us to celebrate those we love. There is also an invitation to keep company with the Guest sitting in ones soul, 'in the midst of one's heart.'  Shrines help us to remember that Guest, to light a candle, to be united in rest and peace.

Sacred Art Workshop #2 : Baptism, the end of Christmas and the way in to a New Year

The  Announcement for the first Sacred Art workshop at St. Basil's was posted on November 23, 2015 in this Blog. We are meeting again on Friday,January 29 at St. Basil's in Rm 006, providing two time slots: 10:00-11:30 am and again at 3:30-5:00 pm to see which is the most popular time. If you would like to discuss another time possibility, please contact me at athomewsoul@gmail.com

This months theme is The Baptism of Christ. I have searched through many Icon traditions and Illuminated Manuscripts, and this image is the one we will be tracing and coloring.

                                                                                                         
       

The Baptism
Mesrop of Khizan
Armenian Illuminated Manuscript 1600's

Simplified sketch

"They were overjoyed at seeing....."

I love collage

I love reading the Infancy Narratives from the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew which can be found at the beginning of these Gospels, because this is the beginning sign; "you will find an infant".

Sacred Art Workshop: a visual way to pray

Jesse Tree
Adapted from an Illuminated Manuscript
The Scherenberg Psalter, circa 1260
The Jesse Tree is a visual representation of Jesus' genealogy.
At the bottom,Jesse is asleep and the branch grows upwards from his side.
First are the Prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah, then at the top are the Kings:
Solomon and David, the son of Jesse.At the center is Jesus,  held by Mary.

The idea of hosting a Sacred Art Workshop at my Parish Church is simply an invitation to all visual artists or those interested in the visual arts. Our Parish is very welcoming to those who love to sing, what about deepening your prayer life through color and line? We have a rich tradition in the Visual Arts and our first inspiration will be from The Illuminated Manuscript. If the day or time is not working for you, email me at athomewsoul@gmail.com to discuss.  Friday, November 27 from 3;30-5pm in Rm 006 at St. Basil's Catholic Parish at the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto.